Mr. Oliver has three pieces of string of length 100 cm, 125 cm and 175 cm. He wishes to cut the three pieces of string into smaller pieces of equal length with no remainder.
- What is the greatest possible length of each of the smaller pieces of string?
- How many of the smaller pieces of string of equal length can he get?
(a)
Factors of 100: 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100
Factors of 125:1, 5, 25, 125
Factors of 175:1, 5, 7, 25, 35, 175
The highest common factor of 100, 125 and 175 is 25.
Greatest possible length of each smaller piece of string = 25 cm
(b)
Total length of string
= 125 + 175 + 100
= 400 cm
Number of smaller pieces
= 400 ÷ 25
= 16
Answer(s): 25 cm; (b) 16